London’s Burgundy week and the buzz it engenders kick starts the wine year like no other. This January was even crazier than usual with 19 wine merchant tastings in three days and throngs of consumers waving cheque books like Union Jacks at a Royal wedding. Why? Because 2014 has been heralded as a great vintage for whites and a good one for reds, thanks to beautiful Spring weather, followed by a cool August and then an Indian summer.

The compression of these tastings and the ensuing consumer demand is because of the limited quantities of the greatest wines, but the word burgundy needn’t raise price alarm bells. There’s a big price disparity between village and grand cru with surprisingly good value at a time of a weak euro. Hew Blair of Justerini & Brooks, which started the en primeur Burgundy ball rolling 25 years ago, reckons that J&B sells three-quarters of its allocation of premier and grand cru Burgundies during the six weeks or so of the offer.

The good news for ordinary mortals like you and me who aren’t going to be queueing up for Bâtard Montrachet is that there’s a plethora of exceptional value, deliciously rich and flavoursome white Burgundies in 2014 at £10 - £20 a bottle. Among them, I would include those of Didier Fornerol’s, £90 / 6, Howard Ripley (02087482608; info@howardripley.com) and Didier Darviot-Perrin’s Les Magny, £78 / 6, Howard Ripley, Dominique Lafon’s Bourgogne Blanc, £150 / 12, Berry Bros. (bbr.com/burgundy2014) and Etienne Sauzet’s excellent Bourgogne, Tufera, £155, J&B (www.justerinis./com/burgundy2014).

A distinctive red blend from Oz’s de Bortoli family with spicy, herby aromatics and succulently juicy fresh blueberry and cherry fruitiness in a Yarra-meets-Beaujolais cru style red. £13.99-14.99, Oddbins, North & South Wines, www.ozwines.co.uk, Red Squirrel.

Splash Out

2007 Bodegas Roda Rioja Reserva

This is an ultra-modern style of rioja based on the tempranillo grape whose glossy, plump dark cherry fruit is superbly framed by finely polished vanilla oak while nine years of maturity have cajoled it into perfect drinking now. £25, Sainsbury’s.